Liverpool fell to a 2-1 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers to become the sixth Premier League club to exit the FA Cup at the third-round stage.
The Reds temporarily restored parity when Divock Origi fired home from long-range to cancel out Raul Jimenez's well-taken opener.
Ruben Neves scored what produced to be the winner less than five minutes later, however, sending a venomous shot out of Simon Mignolet's reach to send Wolves through.
Relive how the 90 minutes of action unfolded with Sports Mole's live text coverage below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the FA Cup third-round tie between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Liverpool at Molineux. This concluding fixture of the third round is one of only two all-Premier League ties and, while the teams may be separated by 25 points, it is one of the tougher matches to call. The visitors start the game as favourites, but Wolves have a fine record against the Prem's top sides.
The only member of the Premier League's top six Wolves have yet to beat, however, is tonight's opponents. Not many teams have managed to take many points off the Reds in the top flight this term, but focus now switches to the FA Cup and a place in round four. There have been a few big talking points over the past couple of days, namely Newport County knocking out Leicester City yesterday evening, and we could be in store for another night of drama in the West Midlands. Fingers crossed!
LIVERPOOL TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Mignolet; Camacho, Fabinho, Lovren, Moreno; Milner, Keita, Jones; Shaqiri, Sturridge, Origi
SUBS: Kelleher, Hoever, Alexander-Arnold, Christie-Davies, Mane, Salah, Firmino
Starting with a look at the visiting team, boss Jurgen Klopp has made nine changes to the Liverpool side that fell to a 2-1 loss against Man City last week. James Milner and Dejan Lovren are the two players to retain their place in the side, joined by the likes of Rafael Camacho and Curtis Jones, both of whom will make their senior debuts for the Reds this evening.
The headline news, besides Camacho and Jones making their debuts at right-back and central midfield respectively, is that Adam Lallana is left out of the squad entirely. Many expected the England international to come in for a rare start tonight, and his absence could be quite telling on the back of recent links with Fenerbahce and former club Southampton. Or it could just be another injury setback...
With Joe Gomez and Joel Matip carrying injuries, Klopp's options at centre-back are limited. The German has little choice but to retain Lovren in the backline, but Virgil van Dijk is given a much-needed breather, with Fabinho seemingly slotting in alongside Lovren. Alberto Moreno has also overcome a back injury to slot in at left-back, so this is a pretty weak-looking Liverpool defence. Elsewhere, fringe players Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi start alongside Xherdan Shaqiri in attack.
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Ruddy; Boly, Coady, Bennett; Vinagre, Neves, Moutinho, Dendoncker, Jonny; Jota, Jimenez
SUBS: Norris, Doherty, Cavaleiro, Costa, Gibbs-White, Saiss, Traore
Switching focus to the hosts, Nuno Espirito Santo has made five alterations on the back of the 2-0 home loss to Crystal Palace last Wednesday. John Ruddy takes over from Rui Patricio, who has been an ever-present between the sticks in the Premier League so far, while Ruben Vinagre, Leander Dendoncker, Ruben Neves and Diogo Jota are also restored to the starting lineup.
Dendoncker is still seemingly adapting to the demands of English football, with this just his fourth start since joining the club from Anderlecht in the summer - only one of those coming in the Premier League. This is another chance for the versatile Belgian midfielder to prove himself against one of the continent's best sides, used alongside Joao Moutinho and Neves in the middle of the park today.
Neves is another Wolves player in need of a good showing today, having recently lost his place in the side. Jota has also been absent for Wanderers' last four games, though that is down to injury rather than concerns over his form, so this is a good opportunity for the Portuguese attacker to find his feet. Nuno has decided against throwing in Leo Bonatini from the off, instead pairing Jota with Raul Jimenez up top.
Jurgen Klopp has made nine changes on the back of Liverpool's 2-1 loss to Manchester City last time out, retaining only Dejan Lovren and James Milner from the defeat at the Etihad Stadium. Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Nuno Espirito Santo has made five alterations, meanwhile, with John Ruddy, Ruben Vinagre, Leander Dendoncker, Ruben Neves and Diogo Jota all coming in.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS! This is the seventh FA Cup meeting between the two sides, with Wolverhampton Wanderers winning four of the previous six, including the last such meeting in January 2017. The West Midlanders were beaten 2-0 when the sides faced off in the Premier League a couple of weeks ago, though, with goals from Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk making it four league wins in a row for the Reds in this fixture.
Wolves tend to fair much better against Liverpool in the FA Cup, then, with their 2-1 win against the Reds at Anfield in round four a couple of seasons ago still fresh in the memory. Taking that shock loss into account, earned through goals from Richard Stearman and Andreas Weimann, the Merseysiders have failed to win three of their last seven matches against Wanderers in all competitions.
A lot has changed for both sides since that previous cup tie a little under two years ago. Wolves, knocked out by Chelsea in the following round, were down in 18th place in the Championship at the time and would go on to finish 15th under Paul Lambert. Wanderers are a completely different side now, however, having earned promotion to the Premier League at first attempt under Nuno and cemented themselves in the top half of the division.
Maintaining their place in the top half will be the target for Wolves over the remaining four months of the Premier League season, while overhauling Watford and Leicester City to finish seventh is also a strong possibility. Even finishing in their current standing of ninth would surely represent a good return for Wanderers, who were playing second-tier football this time last year, though a good cup run would make the season even more impressive.
The FA Cup is seen as a good chance for Wolves to add a major trophy to their collection for the first time since lifting the EFL Cup in 1979-80, 20 years after their most recent of four FA Cup successes, and Nuno admitted in his pre-match press conference that he intends to give this year's competition a good shot. The Portuguese was hardly going to say the opposite, of course, but there is certainly a sense that Wanderers intend to give it their all this time around.
Wolves have been in mixed form over the Christmas and New Year period, beating Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 at Wembley but losing 2-0 at home to Palace to pretty much sum up their season. Nuno's men produced a superb second-half display against Spurs, scoring three times in the final quarter of the match to stun their opponents, but they have been unable to push on since then.
In fact, Nuno's side have now taken points off Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City and Man United this season, beating two of those top-six sides, only for their form against the division's lesser sides, if you will, to let them down slightly. Ninth place after more than half of the season is a positive return, but if Wanderers can learn to beat the likes of Palace and Cardiff - teams they have lost to in recent weeks - then they could easily challenge for a European spot.
In fact, Nuno's side have now taken points off Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City and Man United this season, beating two of those top-six sides, only for their form against the division's lesser sides, if you will, to let them down slightly. Ninth place after more than half of the season is a positive return, but if Wanderers can learn to beat the likes of Palace and Cardiff - teams they have lost to in recent weeks - then they could easily challenge for a European spot.
Liverpool are the only side missing from that list of top-six scalps this season, and that is something Nuno's men can rectify tonight if they pull off an upset. Wolves' record in this competition, even accounting for their win at Anfield two years ago, is not all that great, however, losing six of their last seven third-round ties. Their most recent exit came at the hands of Swansea City in this round 12 months ago.
DID YOU KNOW? Wolverhampton Wanderers have gone six matches without a home win in the FA Cup, though a goalless draw with Swansea last January - before losing the replay 2-1 in South Wales - did at least end a run of five successive defeats, including a loss on penalties to Fulham. The Midlanders may boast some serious pedigree in this competition with their four previous triumphs, but it has been a while since they seriously challenged for the cup.
Wolverhampton Wanderers have enjoyed a good first half to the season on their Premier League return, beating Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, while also taking points off Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal. Liverpool are the only members of the top six they have lost to, falling to a 2-0 reverse here last month, but they can derail the Reds' campaign with victory here tonight in round three of the FA Cup.
Liverpool may have lost 2-1 to Man City to see their unbeaten Premier League start come to an end, but Klopp remains confident that his side have the character to finish top of the pile for the first time since 1990. That would be quite some achievement, and the Reds are still many peoples' favourites thanks to the four-point advantage they hold over champions and closest challengers Man City.
There are still 17 matches to go in the top flight, each of them bigger than the last, with Brighton & Hove Albion, Palace and Leicester next up for Liverpool before the end of the month. Nine points from nine will be the target for Klopp, who has clearly prioritised the trip to Brighton next Saturday by making nine changes tonight. Those title aspirations are temporarily on hold, as focus now switches to the world's oldest club cup competition.
Liverpool's top-six rivals are took on lower-league opposition in round three over the weekend, meaning that they could get away with fielding the reserves, but that is not the case for Klopp's men. Using Fabinho in a back four that also includes Moreno, while going with Mignolet in goal and a couple of debutants thrown in for good measure, could well spell disaster. This is a tricky assignment, and it would not be all that surprising to see the German's team selection come back to haunt him.
The Reds, seven-time winners of this competition, have been eliminated from five of their last seven ties against fellow top-flight opposition, most recently being dumped out by West Bromwich Albion at Anfield in round four last season. Liverpool have not been knocked out at this stage since 2010-11, however, when suffering a 1-0 loss to bitter rivals Man United.
Despite all that, Liverpool are still considered favourites to progress through to round four this evening. That is when the competition starts to get a little more serious, with the potential of more all-Premier League ties increasing. Man United, Man City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham have already booked their place in the last 32, each doing so with ease, and now the pressure is on Liverpool to join them.
Liverpool, who also resume their Champions League campaign with a last-16 double-header against Bayern Munich next month, had won eight matches in a row before losing to Man City our days ago. It remains to be seen just how big a blow that defeat at the Etihad Stadium will be, with the Reds still boasting a four-point advantage at the top of the table, but should they exit the FA Cup tonight then their momentum will have been completely killed off.
PREDICTION! Klopp will be desperate for his side to hit back at the first attempt on the back of that tough-to-take loss at Man City, but Wolves have a habit of frustrating the Premier League's top six and could force a replay - the last thing the visitors will want in what is already a busy month. The inclusion of two debutants for Liverpool says a lot, though - the FA Cup is clearly third on their list of priorities.
With kickoff now less than five minutes away, let us check out some pre-match thoughts from both camps.
Nuno Espirito Santo: "We know it's a fantastic team and manager. It's going to be very tough, we must prepare well. They are very organised, very intense, have individual quality, press well, and their counter-attack is one of the best there is."
Jurgen Klopp: "How can we speak in the first round of the FA Cup about winning it? It's a very important competition but we have to make sure we can play with the right intensity. For this you need - if you can do it - to make changes. We want to win everything but you cannot win it in the first game."
Nuno was full of praise for Liverpool in his pre-match press conference, admitting that his side will have to be on top of their game if they are to avoid exiting the FA Cup. Klopp, meanwhile, says that the FA Cup is "a very important competition", but he cannot risk fielding a strong side due to upcoming Premier League - and indeed Champions League - commitments. Before we get going, it should be noted that VAR is in use at Molineux tonight.
KICKOFF: Liverpool have been knocked out of the FA Cup in the fourth round in each of Klopp's three previous campaigns at Anfield, losing to three sides whose name begins with 'W'. A good omen for Wolves, who stunned the Reds at Anfield two years ago. We are up and running in the West Midlands!
Less than three minutes on the clock and Lovren is clutching his leg and calling over to the bench - Liverpool have a problem here. Already without the rested Van Dijk and injured duo Gomez and Matip, Klopp will have to think on his feet.
Liverpool hold their line to catch Jota offside. Lovren is carrying on for the time being, but he definitely had a problem. In fact, the centre-back has now gone to ground and the physios have come on - what will Klopp do now?
LIVERPOOL SUB! History is made at Molineux from a Liverpool perspective as 16-year-old Ki-Jana Hoever takes over from the injured Lovren, becoming the Reds' youngest-ever player in the FA Cup.
Liverpool's back four is now comprised of two debutants, a central midfielder and Alberto Moreno, who always seems to have a mistake in him. A chipped pass over the top runs right through to Ruddy for a simple catch.
The biggest talking point in the opening 10 minutes is that injury to Lovren, who joins Gomez and Matip on the injury list. Sturridge tries to get in behind but the offside flag goes up. Good play from Keita in the build-up to that.
The best move of the match so far culminates in the ball being shifted across to Jonny, whose shot hits Moreno and goes behind for a corner. The set-piece is flicked on but nobody in a gold top could get on the end of it.
Moutinho watches the ball drop all the way, but his volley flies high into the Molineux stands. Wolves are the side on top at this early stage.
Fifteen minutes have been played in this concluding fixture of third-round weekend and we are still awaiting the first shot on target. Wolves have just about edged things against a Liverpool side with a 16-year-old Dutch defender in their ranks.
YELLOW CARD! Jota tries to burst away from Milner and is dragged back by his opponent, leading to the first caution of the evening. Neves makes a bit of a mess of his attempt when Wolves get the free kick forward.
Liverpool are playing with a high line, which Wanderers look as though they will exploit the longer this match goes on - Jota and Jonny in particular are looking to get in behind. Tellingly, Wolves' forward players are preventing Mignolet from playing a short pass.
Liverpool have struggled to get going tonight, clearly not helped by the early blow of losing Lovren to injury. Wolves have not exactly been at their best either, though, with the two sides pretty much cancelling each other out in a quiet opening quarter to the match.
Still we await this all-Premier League tie to spark into life. There have been three shots in total, each coming from a Wolves player but none ending anywhere near the target. The Reds' second-string side are holding firm at the back.
A long throw into the Liverpool box is scrambled clear. Moutinho was very nearly in after peeling off his man from the next attack, but he was inches offside. Wanderers are definitely looking the more likely to find a way through.
Jones does brilliantly out on the left to get away from a couple of men and clip a cross into the middle, where Ruddy is waiting to collect. That is the most exciting moment of the match so far, which is not saying an awful lot.
Wolves win another corner which is this time worked short. The cross eventually comes in towards the back post, where Boly is waiting to glance it wide. That is barely even a half-chance, but it is the best we have see in the opening half an hour.
The atmosphere has gone very flat now at Molineux, not helped by events on the field. Both teams have players making some good runs off the ball, but the two sides are playing it too safe at the moment. Something needs to happen to spark the match into life.
SHOT! Shaqiri, who has been on the fringes of things in the first 30 minutes, nearly takes advantage of some slack Wolves defending. Bennett slipped and could not clear a hopeful punt into the box, but Shaqiri dragged his shot wide of the target.
That Shaqiri shot, which was pretty horrendous in truth, is the closest either side have come to a breakthrough goal. This tie may be between two Premier League sides, but the standards have been poor.
Wolves break through Jimenez, who has Jota over to his left, but his intended pass is cut out. Jonny then got in down the right-hand flank, but his cross is aimed right at Mignolet and the latest home attack comes to a disappointing end.
That Jonny cross appears to have gone down as a shot on target - it wasn't. It has been a first half of very few highlights in the West Midlands - fingers crossed for some goalmouth action in the second half. Jota's cross is cut out by Fabinho.
GOAL! WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 1-0 LIVERPOOL (RAUL JIMENEZ)
Wolves take the lead at Molineux through the game's first shot on target - boy did it need that! Milner is guilty of losing possession in midfield and Jota passes the ball to Jimenez, who carries it forward and tucks it past Mignolet when one-on-one. Great composure from the Mexican striker, but Milner could easily have closed down the angle when racing back.
That is goal number seven of the season for Jimenez, giving Wolves a lead to hold onto. Liverpool have been poor in this first half and must now actually put together an attack if they are to remain in the FA Cup.
It's the Wolves fans making all the noise now, having seen their lead edge in front in a low-quality first half. Moreno gets a shot on target from the angle as Liverpool look to respond before the interval, but the offside flag was correctly raised.
Moreno is caught in possession inside the box but Jimenez cannot get a shot away. Liverpool have offered nothing since falling a goal behind and they are at risk of conceding a second before half time. Two further minutes of added time to come.
HALF TIME: WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 1-0 LIVERPOOL
Referee Paul Tierney brings the first half to a close, and it is Wolves who are in front at the midway point. Jimenez's strike 38 minutes in was the only real chance of a bland opening period, with Liverpool failing to register an attempt on target.
Wolves have won four of their previous six FA Cup ties against Liverpool, including the most recent such meeting at Anfield in round four a couple of years ago, and it was the hosts who enjoyed the better of the first half. Joao Moutinho skied a volley over the crossbar and Willy Boly glanced a header wide, with the Reds - not helped by the early injury blow that saw Dejan Lovren hobble off - struggling to get out of first gear.
The all-Premier League tie threatened to burst into life shortly after the half-hour mark when Ryan Bennett slipped in the box to give Xherdan Shaqiri a shot at goal, but the Swiss attacker dragged the ball horribly wide. Wolves were ahead six minutes later through Raul Jimenez's calm finish following an error from James Milner in midfield.
The most experienced player on the field was caught in possession just inside the Wolves half of the field and Diogo Jota flicked the ball into Jimenez's path. Milner failed to close the angle, giving Jimenez a clear shot at goal, which he flashed into the bottom corner of Simon Mignolet's net for goal number seven of the season.
Liverpool offered nothing in terms of a response in the final 10 minutes of the second half, including the added period at the end, so it would not be a surprise to see Klopp turn to his bench at the midway point.
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS SUBS: Norris, Doherty, Cavaleiro, Costa, Gibbs-White, Saiss, Traore
LIVERPOOL SUBS: Kelleher, Alexander-Arnold, Christie-Davies, Mane, Salah, Firmino
KICKOFF: Liverpool get us back underway at Molineux! No further changes made by Klopp at the interval, while opponents Wolves also remain unchanged for the start of the second half.
Good defending from Camacho to not only halt Jota's run down the Wolves left but to also win a goal-kick for his side. Klopp is clearly happy to give his players 15 minutes or so to turn things around in this second half before turning to the likes of Salah, Firmino and Mane.
Wolves twice clear their lines when the ball enters the box. Slightly better from the visitors, but they are still struggling to create anything of note. Shaqiri's dragged shot 32 minutes in is easily the closest they have come to a goal.
GOAL! WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 1-1 LIVERPOOL (DICK ORIGI)
From absolutely nowhere, Liverpool are back on level terms at Molineux. Milner fails to find a way through with his shot, but Origi does brilliantly to shift the loose ball onto his left and hammer it past Ruddy from 20 yards.
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS SUB! No messing around from Nuno, as he brings on Cavaleiro for Jota seconds after seeing Liverpool equalise. Think that change may have been prepared before Origi's shot hit the net, though.
There will be no extra time tonight if it remains this way, and Klopp will definitely not want a replay. It would be a real surprise if we do not see one of Salah, Firmino or Mane over the next 10 or 15 minutes.
GOAL! WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 2-1 LIVERPOOL (RUBEN NEVES)
This is a stunning strike from Neves to put Wolves back in front! The midfielder, urged to shoot every time he has gone on the ball tonight, does exactly that from a good 30 yards out, sending the ball dipping past Mignolet.
It is fair to say that the opening 15 minutes of the second half have been a lot more entertaining than the 45 minutes that preceded them. Wolves are showing a lot more energy now, sparked into life by Liverpool's goal out of nowhere.
Shaqiri has been very quiet tonight, but he is starting to see more of the ball. A pass over the top has a little too much on it for a full-stretch Moreno. Hoever then failed to clear the ball but Jimenez had too little space to operate in and the ball ran out of play.
Twenty-five minutes to go at Molineux and there is still no sign of Salah, Firmino or Mane. Vinagre slides in on Camacho down the Liverpool right to concede a free kick in a dangerous crossing position, which Milner is standing over.
It was Shaqiri, not Milner, who sent in an inswinging free kick. Wolves once again cleared their lines when the ball arrived in the middle.
Fabinho is well positioned to cut out Vinagre's attempted pass into the path of Jimenez. Jones is desperately trying to make something happen out wide, but Wolves are defending very well as a unit, getting a couple of players across to halt the youngster in his tracks.
Sturridge gets in front of Coady, who is drawn into making a foul 25 yards from goal. Pretty much ideal range for Shaqiri to take this one on. Meanwhile, Salah is being stripped ready to come on for the Reds.
OFF THE POST! Shaqiri does indeed take on the free kick, sending it against the inside of the post. Luck is on Wolves' side as the ball goes out of play, rather than trickling over the line. It looks as though Ruddy may have got the smallest of touches to the effort.
LIVERPOOL SUBS! Klopp is finally forced to turn to his bench, bringing on Salah and Firmino for Sturridge and Jones. Less than 20 minutes to go here.
Wolves are about to make a change or two, with Liverpool the side on top. Klopp would surely take a replay now if offered to him, as his side have a little over 15 minutes to find a goal. Can the home side hold on in what has turned out to be a decent cup tie?
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS SUB! Doherty is brought on for Jonny, who has performed well down the right wing. Nuno is clearly after a bit more structure to his side for the closing stages, needing to protect a one-goal lead.
Liverpool are steadily building some momentum, with Salah and Firmino now on the field. Wolves are starting to look a little nervy at the back, summed up by Boly's horrific scuffed clearance 35 yards from his own goal.
Salah picks up the ball on the edge of the box, but Wolves get a few players around him and the Egyptian loses possession. It is all Liverpool now as we approach the final 10 minutes. The Reds need their main man to step up or else they are heading for the exit.
Klopp has used all three changes, while Nuno can still turn to his bench for one final time in the remaining minutes should he wish. Liverpool have lost their momentum since Camacho produced a terrible cross, sending the ball straight out of play.
Cavaleiro powers down the left but his cross to the back post has a little too much on it for Doherty. Wolves have focused more on defending than attacking, but that move offered some rare respite. A long seven minutes ahead for the hosts.
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS SUB! Wolves have not really looked like conceding, in truth, with Wolves well drilled at the back. Camacho decides to have a go from range, but his shot swerved well wide of the target. Costa is now on for Jimenez.
SHOT! Liverpool's pressure is slowly starting to tell. Salah cuts inside on his left and gets a shot away, which hits a Wolves player in front of goal. Keita then had a great chance to slot the Egyptian in on goal, only to overhit the simple through-ball.
Wolves are looking incredibly well drilled at the back, standing their ground whenever Liverpool's attackers get on the ball. Incredibly, the Reds' only shot on target all evening was Origi's strike for the equalising goal.
Keita hooks the ball into the box but Salah is beaten to it by Coady. Liverpool at least have a corner, which Mignolet comes up for, but it is a Wolves player who gets his head to it first. Two minutes of added time still to play...
SHOT! Mignolet stays forward and the ball enters the box. Fabinho gets on the end of it but his attempt trickles towards Ruddy, who has the simplest of stops to make. That should do it for Wolves.
FULL TIME: WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 2-1 LIVERPOOL
Wolves hold on to book their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup. It is hard to work out whether this is an upset, as Liverpool fielded a weakened side that included three debutants from the moment Hoever was brought on seven minutes into the match. Credit must go to the home side, though, as they did not panic when Origi cancelled out Jimenez's goal, restoring their lead through Neves soon after and seeing things through in the remaining 35 minutes.
That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events from Molineux. An on-the-whistle report can be found by clicking here, and be sure to join us again tomorrow as we bring you updates from the first of the two midweek EFL Cup semi-finals. Thanks for joining!
